Second, First Impressions
by Akioshino
Summary: When the curse of the Arcobaleno is completely broken, Tsuna meets the adult version of Reborn for the first time.


Tsuna was happy. Really, he was.

The Arcobaleno curse had been completely broken ,and the brunette had just gotten off a call from his very loyal, very brave storm guardian telling him the news. His tutor/adviser was no longer barely taller than his ankle!

Unfortunately, the connection for the call seemed to be a bit sub-par... why else would the absolute joy that his, again...very brave guardian must be feeling come across in tone as a nervous quiver.

Why else would good news sound like a warning?

The young mafia boss shook his head and made a note on a pad of paper. He would have to get the telephone system checked out.

Perhaps his line was being tapped? Does a tapped phone line affect the quality of a call? He would ask Shoichi to take a look at it soon. No, the red head was overseas. Spanner then.

Tsuna fell into deeper thought, only half paying attention to the paperwork he was supposed to be completing. He did not really see why he was being notified about Lambo eating the entire main course cooked for a meeting between the Varia and the boss of the Aglio family anyway. It was not like the Vongola mansion was in any way...lacking food.

The tenth Vongola boss sighed. It had been a month since Tsuna had last seen Reborn. The brunette had not gone so long without his tutor nearby since the hitman had first shown up at his house so many years ago.

The month had been... quiet. Relaxing.

Boring. Tsuna smiled softly as he shook his head. Reborn had a way of making even the tedious elements of leading a mafia more...interesting. Tsuna could not wait for his return. He thought back to the call he had just received.

Gokudera had mentioned that the hitman was headed back to Italy. "Jyudaime! Forgive me! I will not be back in time! My flight back arrives 4 hours after Reborn's!"

"Ah, no worries! We will wait to start the party for when you arrive!" Tsuna assured his guardian as the storm guardian seemed to sputter at him in a worried tone. He really needed to get the phones checked. Tsuna had quickly ended the call after that, not wanting to give out any information over a possibly tapped line that could potentially harm his friends.

The brunette spent the remainder of the day finishing up his work and delegating the Reborn's party plans to people who excelled at event planning.

It was nearing midnight. Exhausted, Tsuna rested his head on his desk. It was still a few more hours before Reborn was due to arrive. As sluggish thoughts gave way to sleep, Tsuna wondered if he would even recognize his old friend now.

* * *

_Danger._

Tsuna opened his eyes. He was still in his office. It was dark. When had the lights been turned off? Judging from the lack of sunlight through the window behind him, it must still be night time.

**_Danger!_**

The leader of the Vongola tensed and jerked his head up, a piece of paper floated down to his desk as it peeled away from where it had been stuck to his cheek.

Someone was in the room. Tsuna slowly reached for his gloves and pills as he blinked to try to get his eyes adjusted to the dark. If he could not see, the flames from his hyper dying will would only make him an easier target.

A dark, silky chuckle echoed around the room making it impossible for Tsuna to pinpoint its source.

"You've gone soft." Said the same deep voice. Tsuna could swear he had never heard the speaker before... but there was an underlying tone that seemed almost familiar.

Movement. Behind him!

Too close!

To place some room between him and the other man, Tsuna vaulted over his desk with all the grace of a startled frog and turned to face the stranger.

"Identify yourself! What is your business here!" Tuna said, trying for a stern tone of voice as he backed towards the door. There was a slight disturbance in the air, and Tsuna's back collided with something hard. It was not the door.

The brunette tensed as he readied himself to jump away, but a strong arm gripped across his shoulders holding him firmly in place against a much larger body.

"Forgotten me already, Dame-Tsuna? Hm...I suppose we will have to work on that memory of yours along with your rather pitiful observational skills." The dark voice seemed to be infused with an even darker humor.

Dame-Tsuna... the only person who still called him that was... "Re-Reborn?"

Tsuna blinked his eyes in pain as the lights suddenly flashed on.

"Ciaossu. Took you long enough, Da me Tsu na." The speaker mocked.

The brunette spun around and hopped back as the arm across his shoulders released.

The man in from of him was at least a foot taller than Tsuna; the black suit and orange banded fedora that he was wearing made him seem even taller. The chameleon curled up on the man's shoulder seemed almost out of place, Tsuna was so used to seeing it perched on someone no larger than an infant. It was the eyes, however, that truly convinced Tsuna of what he was seeing. The piercing black eyes and the smirk that seemed much deadlier than it had on the infant version of the hitman so obviously belonged to Reborn that Tsuna was caught in a moment of indecision between throwing his arms around the man in a welcome back hug...and escaping out the window to safety.

"You're back!" Tsuna grinned. "...and tall...very, very tall, " he continued lamely as he stared up at the hitman.

"Aside from the poor observational skills and lack of memory... You are also stating the obvious and having difficultly processing events unfolding right before you." Reborn listed. "I leave for a month and you forget everything I taught you."

"Wait? What?" Tsuna blinked, getting a bad feeling about where this was going. Tsuna decided that the phones were definitely broken... Gokudera had not sounded nearly nervous enough about this Reborn.

"Shall I add hearing loss to the list, or perhaps it is a poor grasp on language skills?" Reborn's grin broadened, becoming predatory. "Looks like you are in dire need of some more training. How convenient that you are awake to start."

"T-training? But...but Reborn, you just got bigger...er...back! You just got back, and it is..." Tsuna looked around for a clock as he backed around his desk towards the window. "It is only four in the morning!" Confound it all! Tsuna was the boss of the biggest, most powerful Mafia family in Italy, he should not be retreating in terror from anyone, let alone from someone who worked for him! However even as he told himself this he continued to back away from the hitman in front of him.

"Indeed, shouldn't you thank me for letting you sleep in? I will, after all, not be so accommodating in the future" Reborn said as he slowly stalked forward, the increasingly predatory grin never leaving his face.

"Ah..ha. Y-yes. Thank you!" Tsuna had finally reached the window and not taking his eyes off the far too large hitman/tutor he clumsily opened it while muttering about the heat.

Reborn just made a short humming sound, obviously not fooled.

"But, Reborn! Today is a busy day and all...with you back...and the celebration... and paperwork!" The brunette said, trying to come up with more excuses as he half hopped, half stumbled into a crouched position on the window sill. "So, I really should get started on...um...stuff! Ah! Glad to have you back, and all. See you at the party!" Tsuna exclaimed as he dropped down to the roof and took off at a run.

As Tsuna heard the deep laughter of his mentor filling the air, he could not help but be glad of Reborn's return. He just wanted to wait to fully greet him until the time was right... Like later today, at the party... when he had backup...er friends to join in celebrating the happy occasion. For now, however... Tsuna had a storm guardian to interroga- pick up from the airport.

* * *

Hope you like it. It was fun to write.

Just a one shot for now, but I may write a multi-chaptered fic in the future. I love stories that have Reborn and Tsuna meeting for the first time... seeing the different reactions between the two written out.

Anyway, I would love it if you would tell me what you think, even if it is just a word or two.

Ja ne!


End file.
